| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
24 Nov 2008 : Column 1145W—continued
Energy: Conservation
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what strategies his Department has in place to reduce energy consumption by high street shops; what targets are in place as part of those strategies; and what progress is being made in reaching these targets. [237761]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government have in place a variety of measures aimed at improving energy efficiency in businesses of all sizes, including retail outlets.
The Carbon Trust works with business and the public sector, helping organisations to cut their energy bills and carbon emissions. The Carbon Trust provides a number of services including energy efficiency advice and interest free energy efficiency loans for small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2007-08, the Carbon Trust helped customers implement energy and carbon saving measures resulting in some £207 million savings from their annual costs and since inception has helped deliver cost savings of nearly £1 billion. The Trust is also working with the British Retail Consortium to support its new Climate Change initiative “A Better Retailing Climate” which details the BRC’s commitment to lowering emissions across the retail sector through a suite of initiatives, including reducing emissions from buildings by 15 per cent. by 2013.
The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) is a new mandatory emissions trading scheme that will cover large businesses, including large retailers and will start in 2010. The CRC will have a significant impact on reducing UK carbon emissions and offers the potential to save money through energy efficiency. Analysis indicates that, by driving energy efficiency, the CRC will deliver emissions reductions cost-effectively, saving participants money, and enabling green growth—yielding a positive net present value to participants of £755 million.
Energy: Consumption
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what evidence and analysis the final energy consumption projection for 2020 of 1,740 TWh in the Energy White Paper was based. [236481]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The projection of final energy consumption of 1,740 TWh is based on energy projections informing the Energy White Paper in May 2007 and published as a supporting document. The figure of 1,740 TWh quoted is based on the Eurostat definition of “final energy consumption” which includes energy losses by generators and defines final energy consumption on a “net calorific” rather than a “gross calorific” basis.
The Energy White Paper projections are provided by the Department's energy model and were published alongside the Energy White Paper. The energy model is a model of the UK energy market. Energy demand is modelled based on historic relationships between energy demand and key assumptions on economic growth, population and energy prices. The projections of future consumption take account the existing policy measures. The projections based on a range of assumptions to reflect uncertainty. Details of the assumptions are included in the publication
I am placing a copy of the information in the Libraries of the House.
Energy: Prices
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps are being taken to ensure energy customers are informed of proposed price increases by energy suppliers before entering into lengthy contracts. [234740]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In the domestic sector, longer term contracts are typically at a fixed price, which provides customers with more certainty about their future expenditure. In the business sector, contract may be on a fixed or variable basis. It is for the business customer to consider the range of offers by suppliers. Variable price contracts will change according to a range of factors including movements in wholesale prices. A supplier can therefore, only provide a prospective customer with a price at a particular time. That price may subsequently rise or fall.
Fuel Poverty
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change who he expects to conduct the street-by-street visits in fuel-poor areas under the home energy saving scheme; and what information will be (a) collected and (b) stored. [236760]
Joan Ruddock: The policy detail of the Community Energy Savings Programme is currently under discussion with stakeholders. The Government will undertake a formal consultation and will seek views on these issues. It would therefore be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of this consultation.
Fuel Poverty: Barnet
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will assess the effect of increasing energy prices on people living in Chipping Barnet constituency as part of his Department's work on fuel poverty. [237917]
Joan Ruddock: The most recent fuel poverty estimates are available for 2006 in the Sixth Annual Progress report on the Fuel Poverty Strategy:
These show that in the UK, there were around 3.5 million households living in fuel poverty in 2006 and around 2.4 million in England. The statistical annex to this report gives indicative projections for fuel poverty in England. These show an estimated further 1.2 million households moving into fuel poverty between 2006 and 2008, largely due to fuel price increases. Projections are not made below national level.
The Government will continue to keep fuel poverty policies under constant review to ensure that the Fuel Poverty Strategy and the Government's policies, initiatives and measures are fit for purpose to respond to new challenges.
Global Threat Reduction Programme
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the progress of the Global Threat Reduction Programme towards the commitments made at the G8 Summit in Kananaskis. [236397]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Global Threat Reduction Programme (GTRP) constitutes the UK contribution to the 'Global Partnership' a 10-year, $20 billion international programme established as a G8 Initiative at the Canadian G8 Summit in Kananaskis in 2002 to prevent the proliferation of dangerous nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological materials and expertise. The Department is responsible for the nuclear and radiological elements of this international programme, MOD is responsible for the chemical and biological aspects and the policy lead for all non-proliferation work is provided by FCO.
The then Prime Minister committed the UK to contribute up to $750 million between 2002 and 2012, and over halfway through the programme, the UK has spent over £230 million (equivalent to $350 million at 2002 rates) in achieving these international threat reduction programme initiatives.
The Government publish an annual report which provides an assessment of the progress being made by the UK's portfolio of projects. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House and can be viewed online from:
The annual report for 2008 is being prepared with expected publication in early 2009.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people have received a Warm Front scheme grant in (a) Houghton and Washington East constituency, (b) Sunderland, (c) the North East and (d) England in each year since its inception. [235903]
Joan Ruddock: The following table illustrates the number of households assisted in (a) Houghton and Washington East constituency, (b) Sunderland, (c) the North East and (d) England in each full year since the schemes inception
| Houghton and Washington East | Sunderland (local authority) | North East England | England (all) | |
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been paid to Eaga plc for delivery of Warm Front grants to households in each of the last five years. [235968]
Joan Ruddock: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Plaskitt) on 11 November 2008, Official Report, column 1137W.
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Warm Front grant contracts have been awarded to installers (a) owned by and (b) connected to Eaga plc. [235995]
Joan Ruddock: Eaga, as main contractor for the Warm Front scheme, agreed with the Department at the outset of its contract in 2005 that a total of 30 per cent. of scheme capacity would be carried out by Eaga's in-house installers.
Throughout the contracted scheme period (June 2005 and October 2008) 27 per cent. of jobs allocated have gone to Eaga's in-house contractors.
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many homes in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency have received home insulation through the Warm Front scheme. [235998]
Joan Ruddock: 1,032 households received an insulation measure through the Warm Front Scheme in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency between 1 June 2000 and 28 July 2008.
Eaga plc continue to provide regular updates of Warm Front installation figures to every MP in England delivered through individual constituency websites.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average period under the Warm Front scheme between qualification and installation of (a) a boiler, (b) draught excluders and (c) insulation was at the latest date for which figures are available. [236511]
Joan Ruddock: Under the Warm Front scheme the average waiting time to complete heating and insulation jobs, from the identification of required works, in the current scheme year (1 April 2008 to 25 October 2008) was 63 working days and 38 working days respectively.
Timelines contracted with the Department are 120 working days for heating measures and 40 working days for insulation measures.
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the contract to supply Warm Front services is next due to be put out to tender. [236522]
Joan Ruddock: The current contract with Eaga plc runs until 2010 with an option to extend for a further two years. A decision on whether or not to exercise this option will be taken in due course.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what average price was quoted by Eaga contractors under the Warm Front scheme for the installation of (a) loft insulation, (b) boiler replacement, (c) draft excluders and (d) double glazing in the latest period for which figures are available. [236610]
Joan Ruddock: Prices are commercially sensitive, however all works undertaken by the warm front scheme are subject to a harmonised pricing structure. This framework mandates a regional equalisation of costs of all insulation and heating jobs undertaken through the scheme.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of successful applicants to the Warm Front scheme received a grant worth the full cost of the quote for works to their home in the latest period for which figures are available. [236611]
Joan Ruddock: Over the current scheme year 2008-09, 1 April to 25 October, 108,887 households have been assisted by the Warm Front scheme. 72,630 (67 per cent.) of these households had their work covered entirely by the grant allocation.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in (a) Crosby constituency and (b) England have received Warm Front grants in each year since the establishment of the scheme. [236712]
Joan Ruddock: The following table illustrates the number of households assisted by the Warm Front scheme in (a) Crosby constituency and (b) England in each full year since the scheme's inception.
| Scheme year | Crosby constituency | England (all) |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |